


I cannot see a monster when I look into your eyes

by IvvyQueen



Category: Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Canon, Post-Dirge of Cerberus (Compilation of FFVII), Romantic Fluff, monster arm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:08:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23905936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IvvyQueen/pseuds/IvvyQueen
Summary: Vincent tries to hide his pain, the claws that grow from his fingers, the utmost darkness that is his limb. But in his carelessness, Yuffie finds out. She's not letting him leave if she can do something to help, however.
Relationships: Yuffie Kisaragi/Vincent Valentine
Comments: 2
Kudos: 34





	I cannot see a monster when I look into your eyes

The ends of his fingertips twitched and spasmed. Blood rushed fast, though no wound threatened to spill every drop of his body, it ached and trembled and pulsed as he hid it with the aid of his cloak.

It was a miracle whenever he managed to contain it after nearing his limits for too long in a battle. Holding them all back hadn’t been easy ever since Chaos returned to the lifestream, his three demons fighting for dominion, though it truly was more like a very heated argument than a fight after all these years he’d dealt with them.

Glancing at his left arm, he found his way inside the storage, pausing every so often to tighten the gauntlet back while poking around the room to find a clean towel. His cloak swished from side to side, having ditched his usual clothes for a matching pair of black night pants and shirt, it seemed the smartest to use his cape to hide himself.

_I must control this before it-_

‘‘Vinny…?’’

Upon hearing his name be dragged out in a small voice, his crimson eyes turned back to find Yuffie’s staring right into his.

‘‘Yuffie? What are you doing here- I mean, up at this hour?’’ he asked, shielding his arm from her sight.

‘‘I was thirsty and, dunno, thought losing a few minutes of sleep wouldn’t kill me,’’ but for as sleepy as Yuffie could be, she still noticed his odd mannerisms. ‘‘you’re actin’ weird though, what’re _you_ doing up?’’

‘‘I couldn’t sleep.’’

‘‘Hm, you’re lying,’’ Her eyes narrowed, placing her glass away. ‘‘if that were true you’d be in your bedroom still.’’

‘‘Because I was hungry too.’’

‘‘Then I’d have seen you at the kitchen and not here, hiding,’’ her lithe body inched closer and closer, eyeing him up and down, side to side, wanting to see so badly what he was hiding.

‘‘Yuffie, please, I’m not in the- Grrah!’’ His body folded in half, towering over and trapping her between him and the wall. Her cheeks colored red until her eyes traced down, his golden gauntlet and cloth now lose and barely hanging onto his arm.

‘‘Vincent, your hand,’’ her voice in a hushed gasp, she glanced around then back at him.

‘‘Forgive me, please,’’ his mouth rested dangerously close to her, cursing his sharp fangs for tempting shivers in her, ‘‘I did not mean for you to see me like this,’’ every word ached coming out of his lips, trembling away from her. ‘‘I’ll be alright, d-don’t worry, just go back to bed.’’

Her fist clutched around, seizing his good hand between hers. ‘‘No way. I’m helping you out-’’

‘‘You do not want to see it,’’ he was quick to cut her off, tugging his arm away as another heavy pulse coursed through his other limb. _Fuck you, Gigas. I know it was you._

‘‘So what?!’’ She said in a loud whisper, quickly getting between the door and him when his guard fell. ‘‘You’re hurting and I care about you, please, let me help you…’’

He felt it deep within; she’d run, she’d flee, she’d gasp in horror and never look at him the same way the minute he uncovered his deformity. Eyes darted down in defeat however, for arguing with her would make him gain nothing and her features softened and pleaded for him to stop his stubbornness and let her aid.

Sighing, Vincent let his gloveless hand run over hers as gentle fingers held his aching limb. ‘‘Very well, but you must promise not to tell anyone what you see and… everything is in my bedroom, so we shall go there.’’

Yuffie could feel the heat across her face. It burned, yet tried to remain ignorant of her rampage of thoughts. ‘‘Alright, then let’s go, you look very worn out already,’’ her fingers laced with his for barely a second, slipping past him to take hold of the cotton towels he’d come for.

Not a sound or a cricket alerted of their presence as they walked towards one end of the ship, where his temporary bedroom was located. It was isolated from the rest, at the end of long, empty halls. _Old habits die hard,_ Yuffie thought, as soon as they reached his bedroom’s door.

Vincent let her in first, closing the door behind him as he watched, as calm as could be with a racing heart and a knot on his throat, as Yuffie reached for a bowl full of cold water, dipping the towel on it. ‘‘Vinny, I’ll need ya’ to sit down and take your claws and cape off,’’ she asked rather politely, waiting for him to follow up with the request.

With his feet vacillating at first, the belts of his cape came undone, and the crimson fabric fell off his shoulders and onto the ground with a heavy _thud_. His fingers pulled from the ends of his glove and, almost with an air of mystery, slowly and carefully he allowed for his arm to meet her sight and the moonlight.

To his surprise and at the expense of his poor nerves, no sound came from her. No horrified gasp, no repulsed gagging, neither did she shove him away or ran out.

Rather, she traced over his smooth skin, no fair flesh at all but black and grey like he’d dipped it in the abyss. The line between fingers and nails- or better said, claws, -blurred, as the closer to the end she reached, the darker his hand seemed, even darker than the night but his touch was gentle, warm and frightened. No reason to fear him now more than she did ten minutes or three years ago.

‘‘Hold still, it’s cold,’’ Yuffie hushed, keeping a hand under his arm as she began to wrap the soaked towel around it, ‘‘how does it help though? The cold water, I mean.’’

‘‘They’re all weak to the cold,’’ Vincent looked from his arm to her face, drawn by the little details on it that formed with her concentrating on something else. ‘‘Galian can’t stand it, Gigas is immobilized and I suppose Hell Masker is just… afraid of it.’’

She let his words disappear in the growing silence, forgetting to let go of his hand as she studied his room with particular care. Cerberus rested near, atop of the almost empty nightstand were it not for his phone.

The tip of her shoes met with the edge of his cape, off his shoulders it seemed even larger than it was. Leaning down, she picked it off the floor and hung it by the door, for that instant he realized just how endearing her touch had become, that it felt odd for his hand to be so empty now.

‘‘So how long until-’’

‘‘I don’t get it,’’ Vincent kept his eyes on her, locked, ‘‘you didn’t run, you didn’t look scared or horrified in the slightest, why…?’’

For that very instant she saw the sadness in his eyes, her heart sunk and she neared him again, ‘‘You wouldn’t run if it were me in your position, would you?’’

‘‘Of course not.’’ Being so quick to reply, his mouth shut and he turned to look away.

He heard it so clearly, her giggle like bells and so near him, threatening to make his lips curve in a smile.

‘‘Vince?’’

‘‘Hm?-…’’ His face froze, eyes widening in surprise. There, he felt warmth on his cheek, though merely a second, it replayed over and over in his head, for her lips had grazed his skin and he felt his heartbeat go into a frenzy like it hadn’t done in so long.

‘‘I’m always here for you, same way ya’ are for me.’’

Silence wanted to linger, but he wouldn’t let it do so.

‘‘Yuffie?’’ Vincent stood up and brought her closer to him, one hand resting on her hips and the other near her left cheek, ‘‘Would you mind if I did that as well?’’

_You absolute oblivious son of -_ she paused her thought, fair cheeks turning red and bright at his tenderness and his voice.

‘‘Of course.’’ She replied, acting calmly, though she bit the inside of her cheek to hold back a huge smile.

He trailed first, careful and hesitant, a finger over her lips. As promised, he kissed her cheek.

Then, once more. He pulled her closer by the inch, by the waist, until his own resolute led his mouth to finally meet hers.

The first one was almost unexpected. His heart felt stuck in his throat, terrified. But upon gazing into her eyes, Vincent felt like the sunlight, the moonlight and all the stars in their sky could never compare again.

He grasped her face and kissed deeper, almost rough, getting a shocked moan to come from her lips.

Passion dripped from them as clawed fingers dug into her exposed waist, now pinned against a wall and she tugged his sleeves, pulling him closer amidst those breathless kisses and caring little for the soaked towel that dropped to the ground. She wanted to taste everything; run her fingers through his hair, feel both human and monster caressing her back, and she _did_. It was almost desperate, like this was _exactly_ what both were needing and craving for ever since they could remember.

When the air ran out and dreaded pauses came, silence overtook. Yuffie saw a deep longing and yearning reflected in his eyes, yet also, a calm she hadn’t seen before and even a glint of happiness in those crimson hues.

His lips planted kisses on her knuckles, relishing on the touch of their hands as they slowed down, ‘‘Can you stay?’’ he muttered into her neck, leaving pecks along the way. ‘‘I want to fall asleep knowing you were here.’’

‘‘I’ll stay if you don’t mind if I fall asleep,’’ Yuffie wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling his hold pull her towards his lap, laying her gently on the bed. ‘‘sounds good?’’

‘‘Sounds perfect.’’

Good night’s whispered in their warm embrace, her body curled against his chest, letting her head rest more on the pillow than his arm, muttering kisses against his Adam’s apple. Lips curved upwards in his face, radiant smile, for he thanked heaven and earth that nothing bothered him to keep him awake. Only placid dreams came in her hold, and a morning worth looking for.

**Author's Note:**

> I honestly just wanted an excuse to share my headcanon Vincent's left arm is monstruous and a physical manifestation of the experiments when he's not transformed. 
> 
> **This is just a work for fun. Neither the characters nor the world or franchise, Final Fantasy, belong to me. Only the work of fiction.**


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